Here are the 10 things I did not know prior to today.
1. Is it true that a human can live after being decapitated?
If the decapitation occurs below the brainstem it is instant death but if it is above the brainstem, the brain continues to think and process for 1-3 seconds until you bleed to death but most of your other vital organs can continue to function for a minute or two.
2. Why do women blink more than men?
It's hard to say if women really blink more than men because it's a hard thing to study but most people believe that women do blink almost twice as much as men. I think it could be because of the differences in how men and women focus. Men often can only focus on one thing whereas women can do multiple things at once. Many people believe that is has to do with emotions and flirting. Cornell University did a study that proved this false. They said, "Blink rates are affected by emotional state, age, eye health and tasks, but the blink rate for men and women is about the same."
3. Babies' kneecaps are made of cartilage and don't develop until age 3-6.
There are a few parts of the human body that don't ossify (turn to bone) until later in life when they are needed. Doctors think that the time when the kneecaps ossify is when they need to be able to bear all of the child's weight. This happens between the ages of 3-4 for girls and between 4-6 for boys. Many people believe that babies are born without kneecaps. This is not true. There is a condition called 'nail patella syndrome' where babies are born without kneecaps. NPS of the knees.
4. The dollar sign ($) comes from the Spanish Coat of Arms.
There are actually quite a few explanations about where the dollar sign comes from. But the most widely accepted is that it comes from the Spanish Coat of Arms. The Coat of Arms is the two pillars of Hercules and the motto 'Plus Ultra' in the shape of an 'S'. Other ideas: the combined monogram of 'U' and 'S' as in the United States, a symbol from the Roman sestertius, two pillars from the temple of Solomon, a sign used on the German thaler, and a unit of silver.
1. Is it true that a human can live after being decapitated?
If the decapitation occurs below the brainstem it is instant death but if it is above the brainstem, the brain continues to think and process for 1-3 seconds until you bleed to death but most of your other vital organs can continue to function for a minute or two.
2. Why do women blink more than men?
It's hard to say if women really blink more than men because it's a hard thing to study but most people believe that women do blink almost twice as much as men. I think it could be because of the differences in how men and women focus. Men often can only focus on one thing whereas women can do multiple things at once. Many people believe that is has to do with emotions and flirting. Cornell University did a study that proved this false. They said, "Blink rates are affected by emotional state, age, eye health and tasks, but the blink rate for men and women is about the same."
3. Babies' kneecaps are made of cartilage and don't develop until age 3-6.
There are a few parts of the human body that don't ossify (turn to bone) until later in life when they are needed. Doctors think that the time when the kneecaps ossify is when they need to be able to bear all of the child's weight. This happens between the ages of 3-4 for girls and between 4-6 for boys. Many people believe that babies are born without kneecaps. This is not true. There is a condition called 'nail patella syndrome' where babies are born without kneecaps. NPS of the knees.
4. The dollar sign ($) comes from the Spanish Coat of Arms.
There are actually quite a few explanations about where the dollar sign comes from. But the most widely accepted is that it comes from the Spanish Coat of Arms. The Coat of Arms is the two pillars of Hercules and the motto 'Plus Ultra' in the shape of an 'S'. Other ideas: the combined monogram of 'U' and 'S' as in the United States, a symbol from the Roman sestertius, two pillars from the temple of Solomon, a sign used on the German thaler, and a unit of silver.
5. Dolphins sleep with one eye open.
Research has found that dolphins have to be conscious to breath which means that they cannot go into a full deep sleep because they would suffocate. So they let only one side of their brain sleep at one time (found by EEG tests [which I do not support]). They sleep about 8 hours a day with only one eye open that switches on average about every hour. While they sleep they can either; swim slowly and surface every now and then for breath, rest at the surface with their blowhole above water, or rest on the bottom and rise to the surface every now and then.
6. The fastest recorded sneeze was 102mph.
I had always heard that sneezes travel at 600mph but recently found out that is not true. The fastest recorded sneeze was 102mph, they say the average is about 90mph.
7. Mind your p's and q's.
Because there are so many theories about where this phrase originated, we aren't completely sure. There are a couple ideas about it being hard to differentiate between the lowercase letters or that it comes from please and thank you but the story I like best is from English pubs which serve in pints and quarts. When the men in the pub got unruly the bartender would yell, "Mind your pints and quarts," which turned into p's and q's.
8. Why do watch and clock displays almost always set the time for 10:10?
A lot of rumors about it being the time JFK or Lincoln were shot fly around but neither are true. It's more of a coincedence than anything. Usually it works well because the logo on clocks or watches is just below the 12 and 10:10 frames the logo evenly. Before 10:10 was used many companies had it at 8:20 which frames the bottom half where logos used to fall.
9. I want a zorse.
Yes, I discovered this today. I learned about zorses the other day but just realized how bad I want one today!
10. Coconut water in premature coconuts can be used as plasma.
Not to be confused with the creamy white coconut milk in mature coconuts, coconut water is in young green coconuts. It's low in fat, low in calories and has the same electrolyte balance as blood. In WWII it was used as a substitute for plasma because it is isotonic. It is often called the "fluid of life". It's very healthy and provides a number a nutrients but don't be swayed if you hear that it will cure cancer, cure diabetes, fight viruses, smooth your skin or stop dandruff. It won't. :)
No comments:
Post a Comment